Slowly but steadily, the genuine rtvik system is gaining popularity among the Hare Krishna devotees all around the world. Well, in our region here, one Sriman Svarat Prabhu, the president of the Hare Krishna Yatra in the town of Pedas, Negri Sembilan Malaysia, has openly declared himself a follower of the Rtvik system of initiations and agreed to cooperate with His Grace Sundar Gopal Prabhu, the temple president of Singapore and Rtvik representative for the regions of Singapore and Malaysia as of now. more →

“As someone wrote to me recently, the idea of GBC is not in the scriptures, so, ‘Why we should follow GBC?’ But the point is anything that a pure devotee does is as good as shastra. There’s the Bhagavata, which means the philosophy of the shastra, and there’s a person Bhagavata, the person who exemplifies that philosophy and preaches that philosophy. So Prabhupada is the person Bhagavata. What he says is as good as shastra because he’s self-realized.” more →

In 1983, ISKCON GBC removed Hansadutta from his GBC post and guru status, whereupon he handed over all properties, books, money, vehicles, etc under his charge to the authorized GBC representative and directed disciples to cooperate with ISKCON and continue their devotional service, taking shelter of Srila Prabhupada. But that was not enough. ISKCON GBC expelled Hansadutta. In fact, they led him to believe that he had been excommunicated, cut off from any and all connection. more →

Sometime last week the following email ended up in my mailbox, along with a whole slew of emails from other devotees on the same mailing list, all more or less discussing the thread of what constitutes a guru, what kind of qualifications he must possess, whether he must be a pure devotee (uttama-adhikari) or could a madhyama-adhikari or even kanistha-adhikari give diksha. Here’s what Mahesh wrote: – more →

Synopsis: Krishna Kant Desai of IRM (ISKCON Reform Movement) has rejected Hansadutta as an authorized rittvik representative of Srila Prabhupada. Now comes Valyavapu das of France, disciple of Srila Prabhupada (initiated in 1974), who has read our exchange with Krishna Kant in Whose Final Order? and asked us whether we found any fault with The Final Order, authored by Krishna Kant. We have published our email exchange with Valyavapu in the following posts here:- more →

I’m Anand from Malaysia. I’ve read the book The Final Order (TFO). I noticed all over in the TFO that you’ve included the word ritvik as being a ‘SYSTEM’ of initiation. May i ask where from did you extract this word (anywhere from Srila Prabhupada’s printed words) to be applicable in the July 9th 1977 directive? I’m asking this because what’s plainly stated in the above said letter for initiations by His Divine Grace was only a handful, acknowledge senior devotees deputised for that function. What’s apparent in that letter is henceforward, those named in it will have to abide by their guru’s order on the matter of giving first and second initiations to those qualified. more →

Two days ago I received this email from Valyavapu das, who after reading Whose Final Order? and “A Cheap Defeat” wanted to make sure he was not missing out on something in the discussion.

Haribol, Bhima,

My name is Valyavapu dasa (I am from France, please excuse my poor English). I have just read the compilation “Whose Final Order?” which you posted on your blog. I would like to ask you two questions:

1. When did you get formal initiation? (if it was after 1977, who gave you a spiritual name?)

In the article “A cheap defeat” (January 29th, 2008) you have written:

“I have in all fairness published all Krishna Kant Desai’s emails as they are, except for his last, which added nothing new and answered nothing old (my questions to him). It is enough for me to understand his position, and I think it is clear to readers who have followed the discussion.”

2. As far as I am concerned, I can only have a definite opinion on something if all the pieces of the case are present before me. So, could you send me that particular last email from Krishna Kant Desai, which you received but did not include in your compilation? Thank you.